Fusible cut-out



(No Model.)

J. JONE S, Jr. FUSIBLE GUT-OUT.

No. 598,940. Patented Feb. 15,1898.

UNITED STATES PATENT ()FFICE.

JAMES JONES, JR, OF BROOKLYN, NEIV YORK.

FUSIBLE CUT-OUT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 598,940, dated February 15, 1898. Application filed Marh,l2,1897. erial No. 627,141. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES JONES, Jr., a citizen of the United States, residing at Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of New York, have invented an Improvement in Fusible Out-Outs for Electric Circuits, of which the following is a specification.

In electric circuits, especially those used in electric lighting, a safety-fuse in the form of a fusible wire or strip has been employed between the terminals, and as the same is liable to be melted by an abnormal electric condition these fusible wires often require to be replaced, and the cut-out is frequently in a position difficult of access, and the devices employed for clamping the wire have usually also been employed in holding the electrodes or terminals. Hence such electrodes or terminals are liable to become loose in preparing the cut-out device for the reception of a fresh fuse-wire, and in many instances a removable box or cover has been provided, and it has become necessary to employ a separate device for holding the cover in position.

In the present improvement the terminals or electrodes are rigidly connected to an insulating-block. Springs are employed for receiving and holding the fusible wire or strip, and the springs are made to press upon and hold such fusible wire or strip by the action of the cover, and in so doing the springs perform the additional duty of holding the cover in place, thus not only simplifying the construction of the cut-out device, but at the same time providing for the easy insertion of a fusible strip and the pressing of the same into contact by the action of springs that also hold the cover in position.

In the drawings, Figure lis a longitudinal section of my improved cut-out. Fig. 2 is a plan view with the cover removed, and Fig. 3 is a cross-section.

The wires or the terminals A B are clamped to a base-piece in any suitable manner. I have represented screws 3 and nuts 4, such screws passing into the base-piece, and the wire-terminals being bent up as eyes that are clamped by the nuts. The springs D E are also clamped by the nuts, and the fusible wire orstrip F extends from one spring E to the other spring D, and such strip is between the springs and the base-piece, and the springs are acted upon by the cover or cap G to press upon the fusible strip, and at the same time the cover or cap acting against the springs to cause them to bind the fusible strip is held by such springs in its proper position. I employ ribs 5 upon the edges of the base C, entering grooves in the interior of the cap, and the springs D and E lie upon the surface of the base-piece and extend toward each other and are bent back to form double inclines, as at 6, and the fusible strip F is to be wound at its ends partially around the springs and passed between the springs and the basepiece, so that when the cover is slipped endwise into position the springs are pressed down by the cover upon the fusible strip to hold the same rigidly in position and to make a perfect electric contact, and the springs pressing against the cover hold such cover and prevent the same slipping out of place, and it is advantageous to provide stops at the ends of the ribs 5 to limit the end movement of the cover.

In this improvement the wires are permanently connected with the base of insulating material, and the base and cover of insulating material interlock or are held together without any outside support or connections, and hence they can hang from the circuitwires without the risk of separating or being injured, and there are no metallic projections. Hence the risk of short-circuiting is reduced to a minimum.

I claim as my invention 1. The base 0 of insulating material having ribbed edges, in combination with the conductors and screws for permanently connecting the conductors to the base, two spring electrodes or terminals clamped to the conductors, and a fusible strip received between the electrodes and the base, and a cover engaging the slide-ribs on the base and acting on the spring-terminals to press them against the strip of fusible material, such springs also applying friction to prevent the cover sliding on the base, substantially as specified.

2. In an electric cut-out the base having sition and are thereby pressed against the ribbed edges and stops at one end, in combifusible strip, substantially as specified. nation with the cover engaging and sliding Signed by me this 11th day of March, 1897.

upon the ribbed edges, conductors and elec- J AS. JONES, J R. 5 trodes clamped to the base and a fusible strip lVitnesses:

between the electrodes, such electrodes being GEO. T. PINCKNEY,

springs that engage and hold the cover in po- E. E. POHLP'J. 

